Growing Up Christian

Dear worshipers of the Christ child,

            I called Rev. Joel Luetke of Olivia MN. yesterday morning. I wondered if he lived in the old parsonage of the congregation. He told me, the congregation had built a new parsonage, but the old one was across the street.   The old parsonage is where my father grew up in 1917. I ask him if he could contact the owners and see if on the old door frame of the kitchen if there were any notches. My father said when he was little his father would etch the frame to show how he was growing.  Sure enough, Pastor Luetke sent me a picture of the door frame with the notches still there. Do you remember having a chart measuring how tall you were growing or the children growing?    I have a chart here that teachers can use to show how they’re children have grown during the year. In fact in our K and 1^st grade rooms, our teachers have a place to measure the children. 

We may not all be growing taller, but we all are growing older.  We may know more but are we getting any wiser? We have tests we can take to measure our IQ and college entrance exams. But how would you measure spiritual growth and spiritual maturity? Since we celebrated Christmas we are now continuing with the story of the baby Jesus, who is now growing older and wiser. He also had a special relationship both with God and people. As we enter the threshold of another year, we need to reflect as we are growing older, are we growing wiser and in favor with God and mankind. We are all growing older, but are we grown up, “Growing up Christian until we are a Grown Up Christian” Infancy to Maturity.

Very little is revealed to us about the Baby Jesus. We first meet him in the manger. Next at 8 days old we find him brought to the temple where Simeon and Anna meet him. We learn of the Wisemen Journey to find him.  We follow him with the flight to Egypt and later the return to Nazareth. Then we hear of the trip to Jerusalem as the 12 year old in the Temple. Here we learn Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.

            God’s word has much to say about God’s expectation of his children. Not only did he watch his Son grow up, but grow in wisdom and in favor with God and men, he expects the same of us. When we first come to believe in Jesus we are like infants. We need to be taught how to think and live in this sinful world.  In fact, that is one of my jobs the Lord places on pastors: (Eph 4:11-14 NIV)  It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, {12} to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up {13} until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. {14} Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

            The trouble of being an infant is you don’t know dangers. Infants need to be protected from putting everything in their mouths, or putting finger where they don’t belong, like electrical sockets. We have dangers that sin is also trying to mature in our lives. The Bible talks about the temptations we face and uses the picture of growing. (James 1:15 NIV) After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. We have to be on our guard.

The writer to the Hebrews had people who were not growing up. (Heb 5:11-14 NIV) We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. {12} In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! {13} Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. {14} But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Paul also dealt with problems in a congregation: (1 Cor 3:1 NIV) Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. (1 Cor 14:20 NIV)  Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 

            Could it be that there is a congregation of Peter Pans? Could we want to be Peter Pan Christians, who do not want to grow up? As we know we have to feed an infant with milk and formula, there comes a time for meat and potatoes. So also we need all the different levels of study in God’s word. (1 Pet 2:2-3 NIV)  Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, {3} now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. So (2 Pet 3:18 NIV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.           Personally I would like to throw out our confirmation program. Confirmation is viewed by many as a graduation, as an end and not the beginning of our growing. I would like to hand out the confirmation certificate at ones funeral. At least it would give the impression we have to keep on growing and studying in God’s word, and only when we die have we reached the end of our spiritual growth, only then have we really graduated.

To guard and keep us in the faith and help us mature in faith and life, we have a Spiritual Growth committee in our congregation and other organizations that provide opportunities to grow and mature in our faith. The women had their Advent program in December, now this week they start to bring together all the details for the Spring retreat, two special opportunities for the ladies. Plus there are Mother’s with children, Men’s Bible Study, Tuesday Bible Study, Men’s retreat, Marriage retreat, plus our regular Sunday school, Teen Bible Study, Christian Elementary School and Sunday morning Bible Class. From Milk to Meat, all of this to help us grow as Christians. 

            Christianity is not just knowing facts; it is a way of life. It is important to know the stories about Moses and Mary and Joseph. The Bible makes it clear, For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. The danger we need to remember is that the devil knows all the facts also. There is a difference between head knowledge and the wisdom to apply the truths to our day by day life. We can know about the story of the crucifixion, but it is to be more than just a story. It is to be the basis of our faith and life. Remember Jesus also grew in his relationship with other people. 

           Listen to what wise Solomon had to say:  (Prov 1:1-7 NIV) The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: {2} for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; {3} for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; {4} for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young-- {5} let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-- {6} for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. {7} The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Remember our reading how Solomon asked for wisdom. Remember this promise (James 1:5 NIV)  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. God doesn’t want us just to know facts, but to be maturing children of God. (Col 1:10 NIV) And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. I’ll never forget one of our members when I would go to the nursing home, I would find her sound asleep in her chair next to her bed. There in her lap was her Bible. I thought to my self that it was like she was cramming for her finals. But there was no cramming; this was a life of becoming a Grown Up Christian. Amen.